Trial of the Century: Grandmaster
by dragonserpent18
Summary: Four years after the events of the previous story, the day that our heroes have waited for is coming soon. Can they locate Evereaper and save the friend who needs it the most? And why is there chess involved?
1. Four Years of Searching

**Hello everyone! It's great to be adding a new story after my long break! By the way, this story is a timeskip, so keep that in mind. Without further ado, let's get moving!**

 **Warning: The following story is the sixth in a series known as the** ** _Trial of the Century_** **series. Not reading the rest of the series will leave you confused. Please consult my profile to get the proper order. On with the story!**

 **Chapter 1: Four Years of Searching**

Ever since the death of Clive and the ascension of Evereaper, things have been quiet. Hard to believe that four years have passed since that fateful day. Violet had just celebrated her 19th birthday, but all she could think about what Evereaper said to her, not to mention having to keep the secret about Rogue Shadow being a ghost. I won't lie to you; it bothered her. It has been years and he still hasn't moved on yet. It was her own fault. If she never killed Wonka, she could have helped him be at peace. He could've confronted Wonka, but then would accept his fate. The more she thought about it, the guiltier she became. She then went to confide in her uncle.

"Uncle Cyrus?" she said while peeking through Grier's room.

"Yes, Violet?" Grier said. "Come right in."

"Uncle Cyrus, I'm currently very troubled. All I can think about is the events we dealt with years ago. I've had many sleepless nights because of it. It's gotten so bad, Charlie sleeps in a different room now."

"Well, I can understand- Wait a minute. Did you just say you and Charlie slept in the same bed?"

"No." Violet blushed while saying that. "But that's not the point. Why did you tell me all that? Why did I have to be the one to know this?"

"Violet, you've grown a lot more than you think. In the six years I've known you, you have grown immensely. You have so many people who trust and care about you. You have a boyfriend who loves you more than anything. You're one of the most powerful women on the planet. You are someone who's truly experienced life to it's fullest extent. I told you this because I knew you could handle it."

Violet was moved by such words. She hugged her uncle and left. When she did, her uncle looked up, as if he was talking to the ceiling. "I hope you know what you're doing. Please, don't let them die. The day we've been waiting for is coming soon."

 **That is the first chapter! Who was Grier talking to? You will find out at the end. Here's a hint: this person is from a story of mine, but it's not from the Trial of the Century series. Can you figure it out? In the meantime, stay tuned and have a great day!**


	2. A New Game

**Response Time: To VerucaBeyotch, I'm excited too! This is going to be an interesting chapter! To PinkiDinki and mattTheWriter072, I thought I'd address you both at the same time. You guys came up with an answer, but you're only half-right. He was specifically talking to matt's answer. The answer was indeed Matt, the time and space manipulator from Charlie and the Altered Factory. However, Brian is also in this story. In fact, I lied to everyone. Their first appearance isn't at the end. It's right now!**

 **Chapter 2: A New Game**

"I cannot believe that it's been four years since we've played a nice game of chess!" The young man named Matt was sitting in a chair, inside a dimension Mike could never enter. This man had met them before, but in another time. He wore a dark trench coat, black bowler hat, black shirt and pants and a black tie with a skull pin. He held his signature pocket watch and his cane.

Brian approached him and said, "I presume your using your chess pieces that you always use?"

Matt replied, "Of course! My pieces are supreme! After all, who is a better queen than Violet, and a better king than Charlie?"

Brian looked confused, "But the pieces don't change, you know?"

Matt smiled. "Oh come now! Every time we play this game, the pace changes. The pieces may be the same, but the game is never the same. After all, your pawn Ada risked everything, made it to the end, and managed to get your knight back. Of course, your own king cut off the knight's head, so I'm not certain whether you really know how to play this game. After all, I've mopped the floor with you several times in a row!

Brian got up. "Oh, you think you can do better, do you?"

Matt just sat there, acting wily. "That's exactly what I just stated to you. You. Are. Bad. At. Chess."

He grabbed Matt by his coat and said, "I'm just as powerful as you are!"

But all Matt said was, "Temper, temper."

Brian threw Matt and he landed on his back. Brian pulled out an ornate sword, which glowed in a white light, and had encrusted jewels of multiple colors. Brian thrust his sword into the ground, which ripped open the earth. He raised his sword up and pointed it directly at Matt. The unearthed rocks then flung in Matt's direction. Matt then held out his cane. The dragon's head that was the handle fired a stream of green fire from its mouth and burned the rocks, causing them to crumble. Matt ran at Brian and was bludgeoning him with his cane. He was so fast, he managed to connect at least 150 blows in 10 seconds. His cane then fired an aerokinetic blast which knocked Brian back. As Matt looked into the smoke, Brian lunged in and stabbed Matt with his sword. But Matt was still smiling. He grabbed the sword and broke it in half. He pulled the other half out of his body, and the wound instantly healed itself. He fired a lightning bolt right back. When Matt approached him, they both then suddenly burst out laughing.

"What are we doing? Obviously neither side can win in a fight. We're both immortal." Matt then reforged Brian's sword with a snap of his fingers.

Brian sheathed his sword and said, "I knew you are more powerful. You've been at this longer. Well, let's begin our game. As always, you get the first move."

 **That's the chapter! Hope it was a nice spectacle! I ask you all, what was the point behind this chapter? And what was the meaning behind Matt saying, "Your king cut off your own knight's head?" What did he mean when he referred to Ada as a pawn? I appreciate you answering these questions, and as always, have a great day!**


	3. A Long Way Away

**Response Time: No Response Time today. It's a slow day, but it usually picks up later. On with the story!**

 **Chapter 3: Long Way Away**

Violet sat out on the balcony of the factory, looking troubled. Charlie entered and said to Violet, "I've known you long enough to know that you're not feeling well." She turned to see him in his costume. He looked so dashing in her eyes. Charlie had really become a man after all this time. "Something is troubling you, so I want to help."

Violet ushered for him to sit down next to her. They held hands when he sat. "Honestly, I still have that guilt about what I've done. I thought I dealt with it, but that was until I knew about something else..."

Charlie asked her, "What is it?"

"Well, it's just that..."

"Violet, you can tell me. I'll still love you."

"Well, Rogue Shadow is a ghost. He's been a ghost since the day we met him. He can't move on because Wonka's the source of his pain, but Wonka is dead."

"Are you sure he's a ghost?" Violet nodded in response. "Well, I'm certain he'll find a way to move sometime. You shouldn't be bearing this pain. You couldn't have known about this."

Violet looked at him and smiled. "Hey Charlie, do you ever feel like we're just pieces in a game? Like when a big event comes up, does it just come down to us making the right move? If we don't, we die. If we do, the game just starts up again. I just feel like my whole life's turned into a chess game, ever since I made the wrong moves, so to speak."

Charlie put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Violet, you mean so much to me. I don't want you to feel this way forever. I can't stand to see you in pain so often." Charlie then took a box out of his hand and knelt down. He took Violet's hand and said, "Violet, when this is all over, will you marry me? I want to be with you so badly."

Violet looked at him in shock. "Really? You want to marry me?" Charlie nodded, and so she smiled and said, "Yes, I will! I want to marry you, too! When this is all done, we'll do this!" They hugged each other tightly, and they went back inside.

Violet gathered everyone in and said, "Before we begin our mission, I want to tell you all that Charlie and I are engaged! When we finish this, we're going to get married!"

Everyone was joyful hearing this about them.

Augustus: How wonderful!

Veruca: Yes, indeed! May I see the engagement ring?

Vera: I can't believe big sis is getting hitched! Maybe Mike and I are next!

Victor: Congratulations, sister.

Rogue Shadow: You'll be a great couple! I'm certain!

Agent Grier and Graves: You have our support and blessing.

Mike: You better make me the best man!

Violet smiled, but then asked, "Where's Phoenix and Layton?"

The group fell silent before Mike told her, "I hate to tell you this, but Phoenix and Layton left. They couldn't stay any longer, so they went back to their homes. They wanted to tell you good-bye, though."

Violet then replied, "That's all right. It's just going to be us anyway. Uncle Cyrus and Agent Graves are going back to the NCA building. We're all going to the mountain behind that cemetery we were at. At the summit is where Evereaper is waiting."

After everyone got their gear together, they went straight to the mountain.

 **That's the chapter! Be sure to continue to stay tuned, and to have a great day!**


	4. Long Thought Extinct

**Response Time: To Angel, as a matter of fact, I do. You see, we alternate chapters. Sonny is often busier than I am, so it takes him more time because of his schedule. He was ill, however. But now he's feeling well, and has already told me the new chapter is almost complete. So don't worry, and continue patience. You can take into comfort that my chapter will be right after his. On with the story!**

 **Chapter 4: Long Thought Extinct**

Arriving at the mountain, they walked right inside a cave. When they saw inside, they saw a mystical, spiral tower walking all the way up to the peak. However, they walked forward and the ground caved in. They fill into a deep chasm, leading to an underground area. It was reminiscent of prehistoric times. To their surprise, they happened to spot several types of dinosaurs and other extinct creatures!

"Wow!" Mike exclaimed in amazement. "How long do you think they've been down here? This whole time, creatures that have been lost are alive here, under the mountain! Who knows how long they've been here?"

"Their entire lives," A mysterious voice came from the top of a cliff. When they looked up, they saw a black-haired woman who was wearing a dark-colored toga and an ominous-looking crown. Her eyes were pitch-black, and her skin was pale. She spoke with a soft voice, "My name is Arachnia, descendant of Arachne."

"As in the woman turned into a spider by Athena when she lost a weaving contest?" Mike asked.

"My, my!" Arachnia smiled. "We have an intellectual in our presence! I would certainly love to make a day-long conversation with you."

Vera held onto Mike with jealousy, which prompted him to walk up to Arachnia and say, "Perhaps another time, but I still would like to ask you a few things." Vera let him go, while Mike went up to the cliff to see Arachnia alone.

"What do you want to ask me? Perhaps a date?" Arachnia bit her lip while asking.

"I'm sorry, but I'm spoken for. Otherwise, I would be inclined to oblige."

"I understand. Of course, I'm alright with her joining us." She licked her lips, which made Mike uncomfortable. Arachnia was beautiful, but wasn't very good at seduction.

"What I want to know how all of this is possible? Also, how can we get to the top?"

"You want to make it possible to get on top of me?" Arachnia wickedly smiled while biting her lip again.

"NO!" Mike shouted. "That's not what I said at all! Don't twist my words!"

"Do not worry, young Michael. This place is teeming with life, and the creatures are just survivors that disappeared. How can you be exactly sure when something is extinct? It could always be good at hiding. But I digress, because you want to know how to get back to the mountain trail. Just find the tallest cliffs, and you can climb back up. But be warned, for their is a guardian that exists up there. You must defeat the being in order to proceed. Good luck, my sweet." She kissed Mike on the lips, which made Vera angry.

Vera walked up and asked, "What the hell is wrong with you? Letting that tramp shove her tongue down your throat!"

Mike replied, "She took me by surprise! I swear, I did not want that to happen! She freaked me out. Vera, you're the one I want."

Vera whispered in his ear, "You better not be saying that just because we're sleeping together."

The group started to walk away, as Mike simply said, "I am in deep trouble."

 **That's the chapter! As you can observe, the story is getting a bit risque. Then again, now that they're all at least 19 and 20 in age, I can get away with it! Thanks for reading, and as always, have a great day!**


	5. We're Looking at Dead Men

**Response Time: No Response Time. Again. Is anyone even reading this?**

 **Chapter 5: We're Looking at Dead Men**

When our heroes found the right cliff, they began to climb it. Halfway through climbing, they saw a small cavern opening. A voice inside was whispering for them to come inside.

"Enter...The...Cavern..." It said in an eerie manner.

They all felt strange, and were compelled to enter inside this cave. They felt a strange energy as they moved deeper into it. Coming face-to-face to a mysterious open portal, they couldn't stop themselves from entering inside.

When they had entered, the portal closed, and they immediately came to their senses. "What just happened?" Rogue Shadow asked.

Violet answered, "I feel we just fell for a fancy, ferociously-furnished, fantasy-like feint."

"Nice alliteration," Mike said. Violet gave a "thank you" nod in reply. They looked around to see they were in some kind of dimension, which had a waterfall and stream, along with a grass field with trees growing, all surrounded by a gigantic cave wall.

"It's amazing here," Vera ecstatically observed. "Everything is like an arrangement of beautiful dreams I had as a child. It's like looking in a fairy tale storybook." She looked to see everyone was looking up and with wide mouths. She turned around when she heard the familiar voices of Plague and Bloodscar.

"Well," Plague said while jumping off a tree branch. "It's about time someone fell for that trap. We've waited so long and were about to lose hope in it." He was in a refurbished and strengthened outfit, and his gas gun had a snake's head as the barrel.

"Indeed," Bloodscar replied from behind another tree. "We're practically looking at dead men." He was also wearing a new suit of armor, but his weapon was the same, just stronger.

"I didn't think we would see you two again," Veruca said in a mocking tone. She quick-drew her revolvers and fired several shots. To their surprise, Plague dodged all of them.

"You'll have to do better than that," Plague taunted. Both Plague and Bloodscar shot their respective weapons, throwing streams of poison and fire everywhere. Plague threw a couple capsules, which let out a thick smokescreen around them. Plague jumped off Bloodscar's back and sprayed a cloud of poison towards Violet. Charlie used the vacuum magic in his hat to suck in all of the gas and smoke. Charlie then held his hat like a cannon. It started to glow green before firing an explosive green fireball directly at Bloodscar. It hit him so hard, he snapped at tree in half before landing.

Plague fought off Violet by blocking as many of her shots as she could. She then formed shadow clones to attack. Plague managed to beat down each and every clone before realizing Violet got away. Before he could even move, Bloodscar strangely shows up.

Plague tells him, "We have to get out of here! They're ganging up on us!" Suddenly, Bloodscar turned into Violet, revealing it that Violet was shapeshifting to trick him. Before he could say a word, Violet ripped off his gas mask and disconnected the gun. She then pointed the currently-leaking nozzle in his face, killing him with his own poison.

The real Bloodscar was still fighting of the others. He used his flamethrower while Victor counterattacked by using his fire breath. Neither side could overpower the other, but they couldn't stop or they would be burnt. Charlie casted a teleportation spell on Vera while throwing a lightning bolt at Augustus. Augustus redirected the lightning at Bloodscar, temporarily disorienting him. Vera snuck up from behind, stabbed Bloodscar in his back, and twisted her knife, killing Bloodscar. When Violet reunited with the group, a portal appeared in front of them. When they walked through it, they were at the top of the cliff. They saw the way back in though the mountain, and they were also greeted by Arachnia. "Thank you kindly," she said. "Those two were getting on my nerves. But now you've made your way, so now you are worthy to take on the guardian of this area: Me!"

 **That's the chapter! Next will be their battle against Arachnia! Hope you're up for another good fight! So stay tuned and have a great day!**


	6. Arachnid of Death

**Response Time: None today.**

 **Chapter 6: Arachnid of Death**

"You're the Guardian?" Mike asked.

"That's right, my sweet," she replied while licking her lips in that creepy way that freaked Mike out. "I've protected this land for hundreds of years, and I have similar qualities to my ancestor!" She roared as she revealed nasty fangs in her mouth. Four spider legs ripped through her toga and her arms and legs merged into spider legs as well. Her eyes multiplied as her hair shredded off. Her abdomen grew large in size and ripped her toga to shreds. She became a gigantic, black spider. "Now you're all trapped in here with me!" She growled in a demonic voice.

She started by shooting a web against the wall, and then firing acid out of her mouth. Everyone dodged it. In her demonic voice she said, "You may call upon your best fighter to fight me. Only one choice. Defeat me, and you may pass." They all immediately looked at Violet. But Violet had a different idea in mind.

"Actually, I think Augustus should fight her. Mike, would you get me the tool I was saving?" Mike handed Violet a mysterious box which glowed green. She summoned a hammer, took the box, and at hyper-speed, she reforged Augustus' armor. "I made that material so I could add it too your armor. It protects from poisonous fluids and gases. We can count on you."

Augustus nodded and said, "Thanks, V." Arachnia jumped at Augustus, who jumped higher and stomped on Arachnia while still in the air. After doing several cartwheels, he got back on track. His gauntlets glowed, and he smashed his fists and the ground, creating an earth wave. The wave hit Arachnia and knocked her into the wall. "I learned that from Veruca." Arachnia snarled and managed to pin Augustus down. She spat acid at his face, but his helmet protected him completely as Violet had predicted. He pushed the devilish spider away with his feet. Arachnia sprayed a web, tying Augustus. She tried to bite him, but her fangs couldn't penetrate his armor. He then absorbed the kinetic energy of the biting and created a force blast, knocking her senseless. When he rushed at her to finish her off, she changed back to her original form, fully clothed (Otherwise it would been awkward).

She pleaded, "Please have mercy! You have bested me!" Augustus stopped his attack, and helped Arachnia back up. "You are a magnificent fighter! You are all free to pass! I hope to see you all again someday!" She opened the sealed gate blocking the way back up to the mountain.

While climbing up the mountain, they noticed two climbers were having trouble. Violet teleported everyone to their location. She and Charlie helped them up onto the edge. "Thanks for helping us! We could have been in big trouble." But then, they threw off their disguises, revealing themselves to be Hunter and Armada!

"I wish we would stop falling into traps!" Violet shouted in anger.

 **That's the chapter! There are only two chapters left in this story, mostly because this story is really split into two. Stay tuned, and have a great day!**


	7. Farewell, Old Friend

**Response Time: None today, but I hear there were problems with reviews showing up. From what I hear, the review problem is fixed up.**

 **Chapter 7: Farewell, Old Friend**

"So you've finally made it this far," Hunter said while smiling viciously. "We knew you had the capability to do so." Both Hunter and Armada wore newly designed outfits, and no doubt Hunter had new tricks in his satchel.

"Can you give it all you got? Or are you going to crack under pressure?" Violet asked.

"We'll just have to see," Armada spoke.

"Then it will be your last match!" Charlie said before firing a lightning bolt. Hunter dodged and fired several shots from his new gun. Unlike his slow-shooting elephant gun, this one was a black customized rifle with a drum magazine, suppressor, scope, and to make matters worse, it was fully automatic. Charlie shielded himself using his magic, and fired an energy blast in response. Armada absorbed the blast and fired missiles as well as throwing a plasma bomb. The explosion of both knocked everyone back and caused an avalanche. The rocks knocked down several cliffs, which forced everyone to climb higher.

Hunter hit Armada on the back of the head and shouted, "Don't use explosives! You'll take us with them! Use your other weaponry! You're called Armada for a reason!"

The group huddled together, with Violet saying," Everyone has to stay mobile if we are to stay alive. Luckily, we have our own methods of surviving a fall. Let's do this!"

Hunter fired his gun and threw a dark gray ball at Augustus. The ball opened up and trapped him inside a net. Veruca tied Hunter with her chain whip, who was now struggling to get out. Armada formed an energy saw with his right hand and attacked Veruca. She released the whip and blocked the saw with her robotic hand. The hand didn't even get scratched, but there were sparks flying everywhere. Mike then ran in and used his katana to cut in between. He was now blocking the saw, and when his katana was glowing, the saw aged into dust. Armada flew up with his jet boots and started firing missiles. The missiles missed everyone and caused another avalanche.

 **"What did I just say about the missiles?!"** Hunter shouted. He then drew a quick-freeze capsule from his bag and threw it at Violet. However, Rogue Shadow jumped in the way and was frozen solid instead.

"No!" Victor shouted. Victor breathed his flames at Hunter. Hunter dodged, but was blindsided by Vera sucker-punching him. Hunter fell off the side, but caught one of the ledges. Armada then charged a laser blast. Before he could fire, Veruca shot his arm with her revolver. The blast misfired and hit where Hunter was holding on, causing Hunter to fall to his death.

Armada's suit was now malfunctioning. He got out of it and he threw it off the cliff before it exploded. Now rendered powerless, Armada surrendered. Mike cuffed him, opened a portal to the NCA building, and threw Armada through it.

"What do we do with Rouge Shadow?" Charlie asked. Before that question could be answered, Rogue Shadow's soul left the ice. The ice crumbled and so did the body inside. The soul fluttered around before constructing a new body.

"So it's true," Rogue Shadow said. "I have been deceased for some time.

"Wait a minute. You knew?" Violet asked.

"Not at first. But I figured it out slowly over time. It seemed easier to deny it."

"You knew about this, Violet?" Veruca asked.

"Don't blame her," Rogue Shadow said. "I've been dead since you've known me, but maybe it was better that you know now. After all, it would make the inevitable goodbye so much more painful. The point is, I was never able to move on, but now I can move do so. It was because I saved Violet, whose unintentional actions caused me to be unable to move on. But what she did was a good thing. Because I didn't cross over, I got to have a life that I didn't have when I was living. I got to have friends, and I got to do good things. If I had met with Mr. Wonka, I would have done something I regretted. I thank you all for helping me enjoy my life, but it's time for me to be at peace. It's time for me to move on." After saying these words, he vanished. Everyone was in tears.

"Guys, we now have a duty," Violet said. "We have to finish this. Rogue Shadow would've wanted us to finish this. We can't worry, because he'll always be watching us. It's up to us now to do this, and we are capable. The world is counting on us. For Rogue- I mean, for Darren."

"For Darren," Everyone said simultaneously.

"Then let's go. We're just below the summit." They continued the climb to the top.

 **That's the chapter! The finale is tomorrow, and then you will need to read the end of it for further announcements. Stay tuned, and have a great day!**


	8. The Gathering Storm

**Response Time: None Today.**

 **Chapter 8: The Gathering Storm**

Reaching the summit, they could see the entire town from there. The clouds were incredibly dark and menacing, and the winds were blowing intensely. They knew they were finally in Evereaper's presence. He didn't look any different, aside from the dark aura that surrounded him. He opened his eyes and said to them, "Welcome to the summit of my mountain. It has been a long time, but sadly, it must be longer for a while. Everyone, I need your help."

"Why do we want to help you?" Veruca angrily shouted.

"Please, Veruca. Let me handle this," Violet said. "I thought you were after us."

"I can't say that myself, considering I'm doing my best not to make things worse."

"What are you talking about?"

The winds then picked up even faster, and the clouds started swirling like they did during Clive's ritual. "Oh, no. I'm too late," Evereaper said. The winds turned dark and black lightning started to strike. A black tornado rose out from the ground and made the storm come to life. It then started to move around on it's own, quickly leaving the mountain.

"What the hell was that?" Victor demanded.

"The Death Storm," Evereaper said. "When Clive released the ancient dark power, he released the storm as well. It's a chaotic, destructive force, and it's out to be just that. I've been on this mountain for years to stop it as long as I can, but I just lost control of it. I've no affiliation with evil, all I wanted was to clash blades with Violet. But now, you must get rid of that storm, or it will spread pure hell over the world. I must remain here, so I can absorb the residual energy. All you have to do is destroy its core. Then we will begin our duel."

"Very well," Violet said. "And if I succeed in defeating you, Veruca gets the honor to finish you off."

"Understood."

"Then we will go after this storm." Using Charlie's magic, they then flew off the mountain and after the storm.

Meanwhile, back inside the dimension where Matt and Brian existed...

"Well, our game ended in a stalemate. I did better this time, huh?"

"Indeed," Matt replied. "You've certainly learned well."

"Care for a rematch?" Brian asked.

"Very well. One more match, and we'll have to leave soon. After all, we've been playing chess for several years. We can't keep playing this forever. We are immortals, but we do have a schedule."

"Somehow, I find that ironic," Brian observed.

"I would too, if I had the time. All right, let's begin our final match."

 **That's the finale! Now for a special announcement! *Drum rolls across the room* So, there is only one more story in the** ** _Trial of the Century_** **series, titled Trial of the Century: Death Storm. However, I have decide to hold off on that. I will be on a 3-day break, and I will be writing Cooldude's request that I like to call, "Charlie and the Gruesome Factory." It will be a dark, comedic parody that I haven't done in a while. You could say I'm going back to my roots. After that, I will be writing another story, but it's a surprise. It's been a thrill writing, and I will so you very soon. I will be writing another chapter for "A Second Chance," while on break. As always, have a great day!**


End file.
